Follow the yellow brick road to the Kohl Children’s Museum for a chance to step into the pages of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” through 1/6/2013

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz exhibit features larger than life pop-up books that dazzle the eyes and stimulates the mind. Each section of this exhibit, based on the book published in 1900 by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow, is an oversized three-dimensional page from the original story. Experience science, art and history through the magic of this timeless story and instill a love of reading and storytelling in young children. My readers receive $1 Off Child admission with this coupon CLICK HERE
 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was developed by the Great Explorations Children's Museum.

HALLOWEEN-THEMED SLEEPOVER OCTOBER 12 AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CHICAGO

Get in the Halloween spirit with a rare opportunity to visit the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) after dark! For families with kids ages 6-12, the Halloween Snoozeum Sleepover takes place Friday, Oct. 12.

Activities include:

·         Discover how to light up a jack-o-lantern in a fiery, Halloween-themed chemistry show.

·         Brave the Haunted Coal Mine or Pioneer Zephyr at night to discover what odd hauntings and happenings take place. 

·         Make spooky make-and-take crafts, like bat kites and balancing ghosts. 

·         Go on a ghoulish scavenger hunt! Find miniature pumpkins strategically placed throughout various exhibits, collect stickers for participating in activities and earn a special Scavenger Hunt patch.

                                                   

WHEN:           Friday, Oct. 12.

WHERE:         Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive

REGISTER:   Registration is required, but space is still available. Visit msichicago.org/snoozeum
                         or call (773) 684-1414, Ext. 8800.

COST:            Tickets are $45 per person.    

Our Day At Alder Planetarium in Chicago @adlerskywatch #WTTU2012

 After our adventures downtown on Saturday (read post here), we woke early Sunday to head to Adler Planetarium for a full day of fun.  Of course I got us there a little early thinking they opened at 9 but they didn't open until 9:30am.  But that just gave us some time to enjoy the beautiful museum campus area for a little bit.

It's a really great view of the skyline but away from all the hustle and bustle (especially at that hour of the morning.)

Once we did get in we got tickets to two shows.  We started with One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure which features Big Bird and Elmo (hence the stuffed guys that were sent over for Bryan.) I thought this would be a good start (partly because that's when it runs) but also because I thought it would get Bryan, who might be the hardest sell to be immediately engaged.   And also, the newest show Welcome to the Universe. I have to admit that I loved the Big Bird show just as much as Bryan and I probably learned just as much too.  I'm not nearly as into space as the older boys are.  THEY loved Welcome to the Universe and all the other shows we ended up watching.  The thing I was most struck by in Welcome to the Universe was the visualization of how truly small we are.  Its something I've heard and known for a long time but as you 'travel' through the universe visually it really hits home how truly tiny we are in the grand scheme of things.

But mostly I just loved watching the boys soak it all in.  This was a great place for them to be as they are very into science in general.  But Timmy has been truly in love with all things space for some time now.  I'm pretty sure he could spend several more days here reading and learning.

 

In addition to the many fabulous shows that run throughout the day in several different theaters there are a ton of exhibits.  Some with fun hands on features for everyone.  Bryan especially loved the one that showed how we see light through telescopes and the delay that it causes.  So he looked into a 'telescope' and then saw his image delayed a few seconds.  He MAY be a bit of a ham.

Picture of the boys in the theater where One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure played. (No photos or filming DURING the shows.)

After a few shows we took a break and played in the Planet Explorers area.

Here's Bryan launching a shuttle.

Need to go?  Have a seat on the space potty!  Although Bryan loved this area for kids, so did the older boys, I just couldn't usually catch them quick enough to snap a photo.

After a snack in the cafe, we headed to see 3d Sun.

We literally spent the entire day at Adler Planetarium and didn't see all the shows or exhibits.  If you have a space lover on your hands, I highly recommend checking it out.  The staff were all fabulous and the boys had a great time WHILE learning!!  

Here's a little more info on the first two shows we enjoyed.  But visit Adler Planetarium online for details on all the shows, exhibits and special events.

Welcome to the Universe

This summer travel a billion light-years and back in the Adler's newest space adventure!
Location: Grainger Sky Theater (see map)  

Appropriate for: General Audience Length: 25 minutes
Every day
11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:45 p.m.,
5:15 p.m.

 

Take a mind-blowing tour of the Universe like no other at the Adler Planetarium. Welcome to the Universe is the next adventure departing from the Grainger Sky Theater, the most technologically advanced theater in the world. Audiences travel a billion light-years and back flying through space, orbiting the Moon, zooming into a canyon on Mars, and soaring through the cosmic web where a million galaxies shower down on them. Then it’s back to Earth, traveling faster than the speed of light in the most immersive space experience ever created.  

 

 

 

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

Big Bird, Elmo and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take viewers on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun, and the Moon.
Location: Definiti Space Theater (see map)
Appropriate for: Younger Visitors
Length: 25 minutes
Every day
10:00 a.m.

 

 Explore the night sky with your favorite friends from Sesame Streetin One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure. Follow along with Big Bird, Elmo and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, as they take you on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun and the Moon.

 

 

 

 

And don't forget to check out Alder Planetarium online on Facebook and Twitter!

 

 

Thanks again to Adler Planetarium, Swissotel, Shoreline Sightseeing and Landshark Beer Garden for this memorable weekend!!

Museum of Science and Industry and Dr Seuss

Dr. Seuss & The Art of Invention examines the singular imaginative force behind a bevy of fanciful people, places, creatures and things beloved by generations.
This temporary exhibit celebrates the life and art of Dr. Seuss, chronicling the common artistic links appearing in his work. See his multi-faceted talent at work through this collection of early editorial cartoons, drawings, advertisements, paintings and sculptures. Then get ready for whimsical, hands-on activities that focus on Dr. Seuss’s innovative thinking. Play with Oobleck, the very muck that runs amuck in Seuss's Bartholomew and the Oobleck. (Please, no geese allowed.) Invent your own contraption using Seussian wheels, horns and tubes. Kids and adults alike will have a blast letting their imaginations run wild!
Even if you don't know Thing One from Thing Two, you'll be happier than a Glunk making Glunker Stew when you visit There’s Fun to Be Done! Dr. Seuss & The Art of Invention!

We recently took the family to the Museum of Science and Industry for the first time and were able to check out the Dr Seuss exhibit.  I have always been a big Dr Seuss fans and so have my boys.  It was cool to see such a variety of works from the beloved author including many things I had never seen before.  In addition to a variety of illustrations and lots of biographical information there were some fabulous hands on activities for the kids in the exhibit.  I have to say it was truly inspiring to see this exhibit and learning more about such a creative genius!  There is an extra charge for this exhibit and while we did find that we by no means NEEDED any extra things to see, I'm glad we took the chance to see it.  We spent just over an hour reading, learning and playing and only moved on because we knew there was so much more in the museum we wanted to see. 

We arrived just before 10am (they open at 9:30a) and we left just minutes before they closed at 4pm.  We covered many areas but I think we could easily go back and spend another entire day. 
Because of the difference in ages in the boys, we parted ways for awhile and I tool Bryan into the Idea Factory which is really great for younger kids, while the older boys went and checked out the storm area that I thought might scare Bryan a little. He spent an hour playing with water, and levers and air cannons and circuits but to him it was all just fun! 
There is a ton to do in the farming area including watching the trip cow's milk makes from cow to bottle or full sized tractors you can hop up into.  There is also a tractor simulator which was surprisingly tricky to manage!
And we ended the day on a perfectly high note as we departed through the space area where my 9 year old space lover was in HEAVEN.  You can try your hand at moving the Mars ROVER replica or refueling a space shuttle. 
This outing went even better than I could have imagined with the ONLY complaints coming when it was time to leave!!

Thanks so much to MSI for hosting our family!

{Closed} Month At The Museum 2 (Museum of Science and Industry #Chicago)#Giveaway

How would you like to spend a MONTH at the Musuem of Science and Industry in Chicago?  No?  Well that's exaclty what Month at the Museum 2, winner Kevin is doing.

While there is admittedly more to see than you can do in a day, I'm not sure I am ready to sign up for a full month.  But it's fun to watch as Kevin gets some great behind the scenes glimpses of MSI in action.

You can follow his adventures on Kevin’s Facebook, twitter and blog.

And you can enter to win one of TWO 4-packs of tickets to the Museum of Science and Industry and see if you can find Kevin in person.  

From Oct. 19 – Nov. 17, 2011, Kevin will call MSI home, immerse himself in science, explore everything the 14-acre building has to offer, and report it all to the public!

About Month at the Museum 2:

After the success of the first Month at the Museum contest in 2010, the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago again picked one curious, adventuresome individual—Kevin Bryne, 33, a digital media analyst in Chicago—to live at MSI 24/7 for 30 days this fall, from Oct. 19 – Nov. 17 2011. During his stay, Kevin will take in all the exciting activities and exhibits that the Museum has to offer, mingle with guests, and share it all with the public online through a blog, Facebook and Twitter. And at the end of it all, he will take home a $10,000 prize and bragging rights for a lifetime.

Museum Hours

Daily: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.*
The Museum is open every day of the year except December 25th.

Giveaway Rules

Required Entry: Leave a comment here sharing the last time you visited Museum of Science and Industry or whether YOU would be a up for a Month at the Museum.

Additional entries: (Extra entries are only valid after completing the required entry. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry)

~Follow me publicly on google friend connect (at bottom of page) - 1 entry

~Subscribe by email (must activate) - 1 entry

~Follow my blog on networked blogs - 1 entry

~Follow me on twitter - 1 entry (leave username)
~Follow me on StumbleUpon - 2 entries (leave username)

~Tweet the giveaway- may be done once daily, include @lisanoel03 and a link to this post - 1 entry (leave direct url to tweet

PLEASE NOTE: I will do my best to mediate any problems in delivery of giveaway prizes with the sponsor, and I do my best only to represent companies I trust, however I am not personally responsible for any prizes which are not received for delivery or any other reasons.

**Winners**

45. A.Rhodes said...

Follow you on Twitter @agnesrhodes

October 27, 2011 9:41 PM 

 

 

33. Cher said...

twitter follower @mamasmoney

October 27, 2011 4:21 PM

Contest ended!

US Residents Only!

Please be sure that I have a way to contact you either with a email available on your blogger account or leave your email in your comment. If I can not contact you via email, or you do not respond with in approx. 48 hours to my email, I have to pick a new winner. And I really hate doing that!

Disclosure:  The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Museum Of Science and Industry: Body Worlds Exhibit Review

The Body Worlds exhibit, currently at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, is something not to be missed.  Honestly, when I originally received an invite to the evening premier of the exhibit I wasn't sure I could stomach such an exhibit.  I am after all, known for watching my favorite TV show, Grey's Anatomy, through my fingers or even singing so I can't hear the bone saws until my husband lets me know its safe again.  Fake blood makes me sick to my stomach.  But I figured if nothing else it was a night of fun downtown and I could cut out if I wasn't feeling it.  I did NOT cut out.  I was absolutely intrigued by the whole thing.  The process by which they are preserved leaves them looking bloody or gross but fascinating and educational!!

There is an area of the exhibit that may be harder for more sensitive people to view.  There are preserved fetuses and preterm babies (I'm sorry I refuse to call those late term babies anything but babies).  This may be especially hard for those who've dealt with losing a baby.  But it can be walked right through.

The 14,000-square-foot exhibit takes guests on a journey of self discovery with more than 200 real human specimens, including 20 whole-body plastinates, preserved through plastination—the remarkable scientific process invented and perfected by Dr. Gunther von Hagens.

See the body living through time as it changes, grows, matures, peaks and finally wanes. In addition to the focus on human development, the extraordinary real specimens demonstrate the complexity, resilience and vulnerability of the human body through anatomical studies of the body in distress, disease and optimal health.










It had been YEARS since I'd been to the Museum of Science and Industry and we got to play just a little bit in some of the surrounding exhibits too and now I'm really excited to take my entire family back to visit the museum!